Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-01-13
Education of Farmers.
American Cultlyabor.

#are uneducated, or III any sense inferior
81 to other classes intelligence, yet there
lis greater educational expansion, which
should not be overlooked. 1t was but a
decade since 'book farming" was derid-
M ed as pastime, resulting in great ex-
81 pense and no profit but at the present.
Isl day shook farming" is considered indls-
NJ pensable in conducting practical opera
III tions on the farm. The book farmer
81 as the phrase is understood, may not
I'll have been an adept in the use of lmple-
s. ments, may have lacked skill at the pillow
al and IN feeding and knowledge of tn
N proper mode of expenditure; but while
81 he was lacking in practical experience
he was always aiming for the best of
Everything, and, by experiments, educated
q his neighbors. Though he knew nothing
#about milking COW, yet he could at
N glance, separate the different breeds of
Stock and mate them for the best of re.
suits; and his knowledge of fertilizers,
Varieties of plants and peculiarities of
ssoils was often far in advance of his
smore practical neighbors. While his
efforts were often failures, they always
tended to a better system of cultivation
and the introduction of superior stock
in the section in which he operated.
.iders it his duty to make a practice of
architecture, mechanical drawings and
Specifications, with the advantage of
n books giving the experience and designs
q of others, there is no reason for the far
+ mer to refuse kindred privileges for him
self. A knowledge of the progress made
III in his calling can be gained only by study
y and practical experiment upon the theo-
M ries advanced. There are hundreds of
n farmers who are experts in the manage
s. ment of dairy, yet who give little or no
NJ attention to the classification of stock;
u and some of the most successful of hor-
ticulturists have no idea of how the vari-
. cites of fruit cultivated by them were
u produced.
"a Though farmers, like all other classes,
81 may be benefited by knowledge, they are
not as slow as generally supposed. Every
season there are great number of con
- ventions held to consider agricultural
48 sub ects, and at the recent Fat Stock
IS Show there were twenty-one meetings of
81 breedere of different classes of stock,
representing every section of the country
q But the masses are best educated not on
ly by the study of agrieult lral literature,
but the meetings in each locality. 1t Is
at such meetings that the practical and
theoretical can be compared, and the ex-
periments and opinions of every member
given. great advantage of local meet
ings is the facility of inspection of the
farms of such sections and direct com
parison of growing crops as well as the
lively stock possessed by each, which
affords an opportunity as 10 the younger
members, infusing in them spirit of
sprogress which is sure to result in benefit
4Ain the future, and to render agriculture
more and more profitable.
81 Sheep Experience
n Mr.. Davidson, of Charlton, N Y, favors
the farm Journal with some of his sheep
Sd experiences. He began with full-blooded
~ Merinos and crossed them with a Lieces-
ter ram. This was in war time when
coarse WOO! was in demand. This cross
made large sheep and he sold some for
S. SlOa head. He crossed these Leicester
4 Meinos with South Downs, and kept
Is these cross bred sheep until three years
Z ago, when he got Gold -Drop Merino
ram, and bred flock of Merino South
4 Downs with little of the old Leicester
cross in them. He saved sixteen eve
rs lambs of this cross, and they are the best
81 sheep he ever had. They all have white
s3 faces, are square built, broad, short-legged
|% and wonderfully hardy. They are grand
sucklers. The lambs sell for almost as
s8 much as the all coarse-woolol ones and
MI they shear more wool The first year
VI the whole sixteen only lacked one pound
81 and half of ebearing seven pounds each
Al of washed wool W thout any tags in it,.
81 The next year they averaged six and a
z half pounds each. These lambs and
n sheep were wintered on hay alone. The
NJ wool is nearly there inches long ana brings
81 the high, st price. One buck lamb was
M wintcred and killed in the spring, and
n his pelt when dry weighed twenty
II pounds. His notion is that the very best
III way is TO use a Merino buck on coarse
81 woolec ewes. In this way one gets more
al teshy compact lambs, and such will be
Nj ready for the butcher sooner than the
NJ cross the other way. Then, again, the
ss ewes will afford more milk and the lambs
NJ will grow faster. If grain is fed to sheep
81 1t must be fed with care, or it will 90
vi more hurt than good. Sheep should be
III fed regula rly with food which is suited
81 to them. They will never do good on
K coarse or swale hay, and timothy is not
# good for them. Clover is best ed-top
% Is good or fine, old mellow hay They
q should be kept dry, and at the same time
3 they must have good air and some
% exercise. Mr.. Davidson lets his sheep
& out IN the yard every pleasant afternoon,
III and all the rest of the time keeps them in
y stable where they are dry. They should
have water whenever they want it, and
not be made to get very thirsty and then
be given all they Will drink. This excess
Of cold water ehills them brings on stom-
ach troubles His sheep made the best Of
4 mutton, and will weigh alive from J3o to
b : pounds. He recommends farmers to
Il use large Merino bucks on the coarse
Wooied ewes in order to get a more hardy
Il and better sheep.